When then-U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran voted on the impeachment of then-President Bill Clinton, he decided to stand on principle. Even if one disagrees with his decision, his words still have the ring of authenticity and truth today.
We decide to reprint these words today because Moran, now a U.S. senator, will soon be sitting as a juror in the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. And rather than quote one paragraph, as others have, we went to the Congressional Record to find the senator’s speech in full. We can’t run the entirety of his message, but we think the extra words add heft and context — both to the decision he made then, and the decision he will make soon.
Said then-Rep. Moran in 1999:
“Having now read the Judiciary Committee report, discussed its provisions with Committee members, consulted the Constitution, inquired of many Kansans, both Republican and Democrat, whose judgment I value, and reviewed my basic beliefs of right and wrong, I am compelled to vote for articles of impeachment.
“Having to make a choice, I choose to be on the side that says no person is above the law, that this is a nation of laws not men, that telling the truth matters, and that we should expect our public officials to conduct themselves in compliance with the highest ethical standards. …
“The untruthful actions of the President are not mere technical violations of federal law; rather, the President’s lies, obfuscation and overt acts to obstruct justice are serious and felonious, and they tear at the essential foundation of our judicial system. His actions were part of a pattern of conduct over many months and not a mere moment of poor judgment.”
MORAN MADE Kansas proud with his vote to certify the vote of presidential electors and affirm the victory of President Joe Biden. He now has the opportunity to do so in voting to convict Trump.
The former president tore at the foundations of our country, and not just on one day. He showed, in Moran’s words, a pattern of conduct that led inexorably to the insurrection of Jan. 6. Trump committed a crime against this country, one that no other president has come close to countenancing. He literally attempted a coup against the legal government.
The truth, as Jerry Moran said, matters. Complying with the highest ethical standards matters. Can any sane person look at Trump’s behavior and believe the president obeyed either?
Many Republicans are already trying to sweep away the events of Jan. 6, either by ignoring them outright or claiming a former president can’t be convicted. This makes no sense, say Constitutional scholars. If it was true, what would stop any president from malfeasance in his or her final days of office? Impeachment is not only following the rules, but essential for making sure they’re followed in the future.
Sen. Moran, you know the right thing to do. Your words more than two decades ago prove it.
— Topeka Capital-Journal
